Child&#39;s educational toy



June 28, 1949. WHEELOCK CHILDS EDUCATIONAL TOY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 23, 1947 o bomo e i A 9 m n Z r w m m fi d .NwAFNLZN mm 0 m. m n Y J m June.28, 1949. 4 R. VIVIY-IEELOCK 2,474,447

CHILDS EDUCATIONAL TOY Filed June 23', 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fiEEIEE mmm .Tm'ah for:

- Fa ymond mezoc Patented June 28, 1949 2,474,447 CHILDS EDUCATIONAL TOY Raymond Wheelock, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Jack R. Stanley and of Los Angeles, Calif.

Michael E. Rose, both Application June 23, 1947, Serial No. 756,397

1 Claim. (01. 35-73) My invention relates to improvements in educational toys, and more particularly to that class which is adapted to teach children, letters and numerals, in Word building and counting, means in print and formation in writing, by means of play principle, 1. e., the childs instinctive desire to handle and use objects which are attractive, interesting and meaningful.

The primary object of the invention is the production of a device of its kind which is simple and inexpensive in construction and effective in use. With these and other objects in view, my invention comprises the features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Fig. 1 is a perspective View of my invention, showing the folding cabinet of the device in open position when in use; Fig. 2 is a plan looking down upon the upper edge of the cabinet when the latter is folded and closed; Fig. 3 is a section of a detail taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a side view at increased scale of one of the characters or tags and a portion of one of the sections of the cabinet upon which the tag is removably hung; Fig. 5 is a detail section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing an alternative construction of my invention, the section of the cabinet being shown in unfolded and open position when the device is ready for use; and Fig. 7 is a plan looking down upon the upper edge of the cabinet shown in Fig. 6, when the cabinet is closed.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, my invention comprises a cabinet A having coinciding shallow panels B and C of oblong or any suitable shape hinged together at Ii] and adapted to fold into closed position as shown in Fig. 2, or open apart into the position shown in Fig. 1. The panels are adapted to be retained in open position as shown in Fig. 1, by the releasable retaining catch II, in which position the cabinet is adapted to stand upwardly on edge with the inner walls of the panels facing the user.

Each of the panels is formed with a narrow rectangular margin l2 surrounding an inner flat wall l3. The margins of the pair of panels face inwardly and mesh together when the panels are closed. The panels are locked in closed position by the releasable spring catch I4 and a collapsible handle I5 is provided as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, in one of the panels to aid in carrying the cabinet when the latter is closed.

2 tainer for holding a plurality of tags substantially evenly spaced apart, bearing characters l6 which are suitably imprinted and displayed upon their surfaces. Each tag consists of a relatively small and thin piece of metal or other suitable material having a small perforation I! in its upper portion for engaging the tag over a hook 18 which issuitably formed or mounted and spaced on the inner face of wall I3. A suitable number of hooks and corresponding tags are provided to suit the functioning of the device. Preferably the tags and their supporting hooks are held in horizontal rows, as shown, although this arrangement may be varied to best suit requirements. The tags are inscribed with the alphabet and numerals naught to nine, preferably grouped together and arranged in their order, each tag bearing a single letter or digit. Another group of characters is also provided on the tags including plus, minus, divide, times, equals, dollar sign, etc., and period. Other groups and characters may also be used within the spirit of the invention. A character I6 on each tag may be applied on both faces when desired and more than one tag, bearing corresponding characters, may be supplied on each hook when desired. The tags D are supported in slightly outstanding position beyond the surface of the panel by nubbles is which are formed on said surface. These nubbles hold the tags slightly advanced from the surface of the panel so as to enable the user to more readily engage and remove the tags by hand. The surface of the panel below each tag is inscribed with the corresponding character which appears on the companion tag in the manner shown where tag H has been removed and applied on panel C.

The panel C functions as an assembler for compiling the tags in defined position as they are removed from the magazine panel. The assembling panel is provided with suitable horizontal rows of hooks projecting inwardly on its inner wall l3, said hooks being suitably spaced apart horizontally and vertically to accommodate the tags D in spaced relation when removed from the magazine and hung on the inner surface of wall l3, in the assembling panel. A suflicient number of hooks Zl in each row and a suflicient number of rows of hooks are provided to permit assembling several words, sentences, or groups of tags in the assembling panel.

The assembling panel C supports on its inner wall 53 a pack of study cards 25, the latter being removably supported in a holder 26 which The panel B functions as a magazine conis mounted on said i er wall at one side or the group of tag supporting hooks 2|. These study cards have inscribed on their surfaces printed names, pictures and other data for the user to follow.

Primarily the device is for use as a toy for simultaneously teaching children to master the use of letters, mnnerals and various characters. The child compiles the name or other character displayed on the surface of the exposed study card 25 by selecting and removing the proper tags bearing the correct letters, numbers or other characters from the magazine and transferring them to the uppermost unoccupied row of hooks in the assembling panel. The exposed study card after applying the corresponding tags as stated is then removed from the holder and the operation repeated in connection with the newly exposed study card until all of the rows of hooks on the assembly panel have been entered. During this operation the magazine is kept supplied with sufficient tags to enable the above operation.

This operation serves to interest the child and tends to teach names, shapes, location, alphabet, numerals, reading, counting and the use of and meaning of various characters.

The construction of the cabinet can be changed within the spirit of the invention, one modification being illustrated in Figs. 6 and '7,

in which the magazine panel E is elongated and of comparatively reduced height which permits the tags 30 to be confined to three horizontal rows. Two half length panels F and G are hinged at 3| to the opposite ends of the magazine panel so as to assure the open position of the cabinet shown in Fig. 6 or the closed position shown in Fig. '7. The assembly panel section F contains the horizontal rows of assembly hooks 32 on which tags can be hung when assembled in the manner described in connec- I tion with the structure shown in Fig. 1 and the panel G serves to support the pack of study cards 33 in the holder 34. The hinged panel sections F and G are retained in open position as shown in Fig. 6 by the coupling rods 35 which can be disconnected when desired to permit the panels being closed as shown in Fig. 7. The construction shown in Figs. 6 and 'I is operated substantially in the manner as in the preferred construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive.

Various other modifications are contemplated within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the following claim.

I claim:

An educational toy, comprising a pair of panels each having a display inner face and a group of supporting hooks arranged in spaced relation on each of said display surfaces, a nubble projecting outwardly on each display surface below each supporting hook, alphabetical display tags removably hung in separated order by the sup porting hooks and sustained in outstanding position on a display face of each of said panels, and a group of study cards displaying a group of characters to be selected and removed from one of said panels and assembled in word or character formation in outstanding position on the hangers of the companion panel by said nubbles.

RAYMOND WHEELOCK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,384,192 Heine July 12, 1921 1,405,063 Murray Jan. 31, 19 2 1,857,009 Amor May 3, 1932 1,904,723 Fisher Apr. 18, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 15,317 Great Britain July 25, 1899 65,548 Germany July 10, 1914 196,415 Great Britain Apr. 26, 1923 741,240 France Dec. 2, 1932 

